Kaiser Health Insurance Permanente HMO

Kaiser Permanente is America's largest non profit HMO (health maintenance organization) with approximately 9 million members. You can find a Kaiser health insurance provider from any location within the country.

Kaiser health insurance is a good option especially if you or a family member have pre-existing conditions as you are more likely to be accepted into their plans compared to other health insurance companies such as Humana, Aetna, Fort Worth, Blue Cross etc.

There are many different Kaiser health insurance plans to choose from to suit your particular medical needs. Firstly, you need to know how much you are willing to spend every month on protecting the health of you and your family. To get you into the right context, a recent survey in 2008 by Kaiser shows that the average health insurance rates for an individual almost $5,000 annually, and $18,000 per year for a comprehensive family health insurance plan.

Secondly, you should have a rough idea on the type of health coverage you are looking for. Because everyone has a different opinion on what Kaiser insurance plans are the best, you can find many options and riders available to customize your own personal HMO health insurance policy from Kaiser. For example, Kaiser Permanente offers traditional co-payment, deductible, or HSA-qualified deductible individual and family health insurance plans.

Kaiser HMO Health Insurance

The cost of your Kaiser insurance plan depends largely on the coinsurance level, extent of coverage on major illnesses, maximum claims per year, maximum annual out of pocket expenses, prescription medications, emergency care, assured benefits etc.

Unlike some private medical insurance companies, once you have paid more than the maximum annual out of pocket limit on a Kaiser insurance plan, you do not need to pay for further co-payments for doctor consultations, hospitalizations, surgery, etc for the rest of the year. You do need to continue paying for your monthly Kaiser health insurance rates as well as the coinsurance for prescription drugs which are excluded from the annual out of pocket calculations.

The strengths of HMO health insurance like Kaiser plans lies in its preventive care concept. You must choose a primary healthcare provider from Kaiser's network and preferably this should be a clinic nearby your location. You will have regular medical examinations scheduled with this primary doctor and this will also be the one you will consult whether you have a common ailment or something more serious that require specialist diagnosis.

Yes, some people feel it is rather time consuming and troublesome to not being able to directly seek the medical services of any healthcare provider. For example, if you suspect you have a heart problem, you still need to get a referral to a cardiologist from your primary Kaiser physician. Unfortunately, this is how all HMO health insurance schemes work because it is an effective way to curb abuses of medicinal benefits from its members, which will ultimately drive up its health insurance rates if left uncontrolled.

Do not worry if you find that you are not happy with your current Kaiser Permanente primary physician or that you are moving to a new location because of work assignments. Whatever the reason you may have, you are allowed to change your primary doctor anytime to your preference.

Maternity & Pregnancy Coverage Under Kaiser Permanente Insurance

All Kaiser insurance plans cover pregnancy and maternity medical needs such as prenatal, first postpartum visits and delivery. The Kaiser $25 co payment plan and $250 Deductible plan are very popular with couples that are seeking a Kaiser HMO health insurance plan to cover maternity and pregnancy health expenses.

HSA Qualified Kaiser Permanente Insurance Plans

A HSA (Health Savings Account) is similar to your IRA, but created to help you save and pay for eligible medical expenses. HSA is tax-free and is important because many people do not prepare for retirement health expenses. Unlike your IRA, the money in your HSA can be withdrawn tax free without any premature penalty at any time to pay for your medical expenses.

Similarly, when you pay for a HSA Qualified Kaiser insurance, the money is tax deductible. You can choose to link up your Kaiser insurance policies to your HSA via Wells Fargo, their HSA trustee and administrator.